hysterectomy and ovary removal

[Sara2013]

hi, I’m after some advice pls. I have severe endo and adenmyosis. I’ve had a son and wont be having more children. The gynae has advised doing a full hysterectomy and removal of both ovaries. Can anyone tell me how the recovery is, when I would expect to be back working at my desk job? Did it help you feel better? Thank you. I’m so confused as to what to do. X

[MrsPaddingtonBear]

Hello

I had a total hysterectomy last October. I was in hospital 11 days as I had emergency bowel surgery as my bowel was stuck to my womb with endometriosis. I had to have a colostomy bag fitted to save my life as the bowel had been cut/dammaged. It was 50/50 I’d pull through. They can do the operation either keyhole/vaginaly or by open surgery where they cut your tummy from under your belly button area down to the bikini line. I had both cuts because of the emergency. There was no room on my belly for the nightly blood thinner injections because of all the dressings! I had long dressing for the top to bottom cut, two stomach drains covered with dressings, bikini line area dressing for that cut and then the colostomy bag. Initial recovery is 6 weeks, then up to 3 months before your really back to normality. No lifting, no housework, no cooking , nothing for six weeks. You can’t lift anything more than the kettle filled with enough water for one cup of tea. You will more than likely have a catheter after surgery and stomach drains. You usually spent 3 -5 days in hospital in normal conditions and have a check up appointment about 3 months later. You will be offered hrt afterwards aswell. I’m doing ok, still get very tired very easily. I am having more surgery sometime soon to reverse the colostomy as the bowel repair has fully healed. Then it’s up to a year recovery/ healing and starting to eat again. Six weeks of jelly ice cream and mash potato/ jacket potatoes and anything very soft and no fibre. Slow and steady is the way. All we can ever do is get all the information we can to make informed decisions and trust our consultants and hospital staff, best of luck hope all goes well.

[Mufc1999 in reply to MrsPaddingtonBear]

I hope you are doing well now . I am about to have both ovaries and a hysterectomy next month and worried about how it will impact me . How are you doing now ? Are you on HRT ?

[MrsPaddingtonBear in reply to Mufc1999]

Hello

Yes I’m on Evorel patches. I have been on them 2 years alongside zoladex or prostap injections prior to the surgery. I will be in them for another 5 years. I have very mild menopause symptoms. I sleep 1-4.30 hrs a night, 3hrs 19 mins last night, fall asleep most afternoons/evenings for about 20 mins, have dry skin on my hands, and very few hot flushes. When I do get them they are usually over quickly or come in waves then disappear. I’m always tired and am currently anaemic as I can’t eat veg/greens or varied diet much because of the colostomy so feel pretty rough all the time. All in all the hysterectomy side has been great really. It certainly beats all the fainting and anaemia from heavy bleeding, and the bleeding constantly for 7 months prior to surgery. My periods had become up to 20+ days long with sometime only 3 days break then start again. When it became constant despite the zoladex/prostap at the 5 month stage I cried to my consultant and said I couldn’t cope anymore, I had surgery 8 weeks later. See if your consultant plans to give you hrt straight away or if the plan is to see how you go ( not usually the case) but then also hrt is your choice whether to take it or not. All we can do is get all the information and make informed choices. For me the choice was made for me as part of a medical treatment. I’m so used to changing the patch twice a week it’s just routine. I don’t know how I’d be without it, but then again my body hasn’t worked right for 20 years so I don’t know anymore what normal is! God luck all will be well.

[Mufc1999 in reply to MrsPaddingtonBear]

would you consider sleeping tablets now and again to help with your sleep ? They did suggest HRT But it’s my understanding that you need to experiment to find the right one that works for you . Can I ask how old you were when you had the operation ? I am 49 but read that it affects women differently depending on the age they were when they had the op ? Thank you

[MrsPaddingtonBear in reply to Mufc1999]

Hello

I don’t like sleeping tablets as I need to be able to drive and they make me feel awful the next day. Years ago I was given tablets ( livial) with the zoladex, this time it was patches as I was told they were safer. I didn’t get a choice both times. I was 49 when I had the surgery last oct. Fespitae all the complications I still managed to have a great big celebration for my 50th, I was too stubborn not to, it was also a celebration I’m still here for me.

[Doughnut_eater]

If they can do it via robotic laproscopic surgery then the recovery is quicker (around 2 weeks) I had abdominal surgery three weeks ago because my ovaries were stuck to my bowel and it was a little tougher to get things out so after 2 nights in hospital one massive incision and I'm not going to lie the first week was rough but I'm on week 3 and I'm at centre parcs with the kids.

The advice is not not lift anything over 3kg till 8 weeks and take it slow with resuming normal activities but if you really rest in the first 2 weeks by week 3 and 4 you may feel OK to work.

I ordered an abdominal hysterectomy recovery band which takes the pressure off when I walk which feels really uncomfortable (not especially painful) if I'm going far.

Obviously everyone is different but I'd been in so much pain for so long, this feels like a relief.

[madtabby]

so i had my hysterectomy last Wednesday, out of hospital after 5 days . I had to have the full incision from belly button to pubic bone . Pain was bad 1st 2 days then started to ease off and managed on Paracetamol & Ibruphen rather the morphine i was on.

Catheter is standard .

Depending on how they do the hysterectomy is key to recovery length. But your looking at minimum 6 wks - 3 months .

I think its well worth going through it , short term pain for long term gain .

But help at home is key as you wont be able to do much other than your own self care for at least the first 2-4 wks

Hope that helps

[Sara2013 in reply to madtabby]

Thank you so much and I hope you’re doing ok now you’re home. Yeah the surgeon will do a full incision if I have it. How long does the catheter stay in for? Did you have ovaries removed as well? Thanks again.

[madtabby in reply to Sara2013]

I am doing well thank you .

Catheter is in for 2-3 days max n u don’t even know its in .

Yes ovaries removed so HRT mayb down the line but has to b very tailored as Eastrogen will just reactivate the endo .

So if full incision or looking at 8-12 wks recovery.

[Sara2013 in reply to madtabby]

Thank you and I’m glad you’re doing well

[madtabby in reply to Sara2013]

Thank you !!!

Good luck hun , do whats best for you not just for now but long term

Xxx

[Jem33]

hi I had a hysterectomy, salpingoopherectomy , bowel shave and pelvic clearance in Jan this year. Mine was keyhole and I was in hospital for 2 nights. I was back on the ward by 8pm the day of surgery, my catheter was out the morning after and I was on my feet by 7.30am that morning.

When I first came home I felt like a fraud with all the help from relatives as I felt so much better than before my surgery. However the help is a must if you have it so that you can take the time to recover.

Gradually do a little at a time to see how you feel and whilst you still have help available so you know whether you can do it or not.

Overall the surgery has made me feel better. I have only been left with hip pain due to bursitis with my endo having affected that area but this is fixable and I’m working on that.

I started my HRT 2 weeks after surgery and have no issues with it. I wasn’t going to take it as had no menopause symptoms whatsoever, unlike when I was on decapeptyl injections, however because of my age (39 at the time)they advised the HRT was to protect my future bone/heart health etc.

I still get tired really easily if I’m honest but I have quite a lot on my plate so it’s about managing that the best I can and being kind to myself when needed (ie naps when the kids are at school etc)

Good luck and all the best!

[Sara2013 in reply to Jem33]

Thank you so much for your message. I’m glad to hear it went well and it seems like you have recovered well.